As first reported by the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner , the Alaska Republican — who lost his wife of more than 40 years, Lu Young, in 2009 — stepped out with his longtime companion Anne Walton over the weekend and officially used the “f” word.

“While this was not an engagement announcement, this is the first time he has publicly introduced Ms. Walton as his fiancée,” Young spokesman Matt Shuckerow told HOH via email.

According to Shuckerow, Young, 81, and Walton, 75, have been together for three years.